Coating compositions are applied to a variety of products for use in residential, commercial, and industrial applications. For example, wood products are widely used in residential and commercial applications, and are popular due to their aesthetic and structural qualities. These products, such as furniture, flooring, frames, decks, stairs, fences, and the like typically include coatings that provide protective and/or aesthetic qualities to the underlying wood materials. The use of such coatings can increase the endurance and weathering resistance of the wood products, thereby extending the useful lives of the products.
Acid-catalyzed urea or melamine-resin crosslinked coatings have been predominately used in the coatings, adhesives, and sealants industries, including wood-based applications, due to the economic advantage and application flexibility. However, these coating systems contain and may emit low concentrations of free formaldehyde, which may be undesirable in certain applications. With the increased awareness of the effects of formaldehyde from the conventional acid catalyzed coatings, the coating industries have been searching alternatives to the urea or melamine crosslinkers. Thus, there is an ongoing need for alternative compositions for use in coating applications.